


Rural Comforts

by MossPrinx



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Childhood Friends, Dysfunctional Family, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, Magic, Multi, Polyamory, Prophetic Dreams, Starting Over, What's the Farmer Running From This Time?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-10-07 02:02:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10349916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MossPrinx/pseuds/MossPrinx
Summary: Everyone always told Denny that running away would never solve her problems, but Pelican Town was never an escape - it was just the beginning.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the first chapter of Rural Comforts! The series will be following Denny, our farmer, but also townsfolk like Sam, Abigail, and Sebastian (as well as some of the other younger citizens). This was a spur of the moment kind of story, but I have big things in store for it! Hope you enjoy!

The trip to Pelican Town was a long one. A plane and two long bus rides would sum it up quite nicely, especially if one didn’t include delays, confusion, and the overwhelming air of anxiety that followed Denny the entire time. But those things totally happened. And she was ready to drop dead where she stood. By the time she reached town, almost a full day after she was expected, her ears had finally depressurized, and she’d gotten at least three hours of sleep on the last bus. The driver was a saint for waking her up one stop before hers, and she’d never forget her for it. Saint Bus Driver - she’d have a shrine erected in the house and everything, if she didn’t die of exhaustion, that is.

 

Checking her phone, Denny saw it was some time after 6am. The land was still sleeping - town dead silent, save for the tittering of birds and other wildlife, the sun just starting to bleed over the horizon as she stepped off the bus. She had everything she owned packed into two large suitcases and an equally as large backpack, so at least she didn’t have to deal with movers - her back was killing her though, and in her frankly exhausted state she wasn’t about to admit it was worth the effort. Opening a map app and praying, she was incredibly grateful firstly that she had service, and secondly that her GPS seemed to be working alright. The walk to the farm was about 20 minutes from the bus stop, but it’d probably take longer with all her junk.

 

With a heavy sigh, Denny adjusted her bags and kept trucking on, stopping only once to take a picture of the peachy pink sky above her.

 

...

 

By the time she reached the farm, it was approaching 7am. The sky was a mix of pale blue and soft pink above her, a cool breeze pricking the tips of her ears. Spring was due in a few days, but the weather was nice enough that it might it may as well have been there already. Admittedly, she didn’t really stop to look at the land she now owned, too tired to care about anything that didn’t lead her to a bed. The house, however, was much to her liking. A few steps lead up to a nice porch and an area to store wood logs, and Denny found herself imagining a cute porch swing filling up some of the empty space. Lugging her bags up the stairs, she checked her memos as she struggled to stay awake.

 

_Rosewood Farm_

_Mayor Lewis left key under flwr pot by door_

_Left one?? yeah left one_

_He’ll come around at 1, set alarm_

 

Sure enough, Denny saw the key poking out of a planter by the front door - she was kinda concerned that it wasn’t actually _concealed,_ but reassured herself that this was a nice community and besides, no one really came through the area anyways, right? The breeze rustled some grass behind her as if answering her rhetorical question, and she decided it was probably best if she were just...inside already.

 

She was pleased to find that the mayor had cleaned up the place before she arrived. Finding the lightswitch by the doorframe, Denny found herself very, _very_ pleased with the layout; a nicely sized kitchen and living room, a small dining table to her left with a window view, a couch and tv (albeit an old one), and a door she presumed led to her bedroom. There was a set of stairs between the kitchen and the living room, but she’d check that out later.  Leaving her suitcases by the door, she practically slunk to her room, nearly crying at the comfy-looking queen-sized bed across from an _actual_ built-in fireplace. She spied a bathroom door by the fireplace, and a wardrobe by her bed, and that was all she cared to see before her brain kicked into autopilot. Her large pack and jacket hit the floor as she toppled unceremoniously into bed, asleep before she even hit the pillows.

 

She didn’t usually dream when she was this tired - when sleep took her, she was out like a light until further notice. But not this morning, it seems.

 

In her dream, her farm was overrun with tall grass and trees. She didn’t notice, too preoccupied with finding a bed, her surroundings not quite registering. But she was the only one not paying attention. The view switched suddenly, shifting from a third person view of her entering her new home to the grass behind her. A figure was watching her, crouched so not to be seen, a sword at her feet. Her purple hair was flowing with the breeze, her clothes dark but her features unreadable.  When the figure moved, the grass rustled loudly, and both of them stilled. Both Denny and whoever it was who was roaming around her farm watched as she hastily put the key in the lock, slamming the door behind her. Huh. She didn’t think she closed it that hard.

 

Strangely enough, Denny did not get a bad feeling from the stranger, watching as she zipped out of a back entrance to the farm that Denny vaguely remembered from her childhood. Back in the field of grass, she could still see the sword glinting in the dirt, where her trespasser left it.

 

Guess she’d have to assassin-proof her new home.

  


Loud rapping on wood shook her awake. She found herself in a puddle of drool, drowsily checking the time on her phone as she tried to wipe her face clean.

 

1:12pm.

 

“Denny? Are you in there? It’s Mayor Lewis!”

 

Mayor Lewis?

 

…

 

“Oh!” Denny all but shouted, launching out of bed to find the bathroom to clean her face. “One second!”

 

Deciding against making him wait outside, Denny sprinted to the door, inviting him and a woman she hadn’t met before inside. Covering her face, she bowed as she rushed to back to her bedroom, towards the bathroom she had yet to properly investigate. “Give me a minute, I’ll be right back.”

 

She managed to wash her face and brush her teeth in a reasonable amount of time, thankful she left her pack close by. A bath would have to come after they left, but she was glad to see she had both a tub _and_ a shower - she could never find use for her bath bombs in her tiny apartment in the city. In the mirror, she could see her kinky, pink hair was flat on one side - the side she tended to lay on. Thinking that finding a comb would take too long, she decided to detangle with her hand. By the time she finished she still looked a mess, but at least she looked a hot one? Hopefully? She’d visit town tomorrow, when she was actually presentable.

 

When Denny sheepishly peeked her head out into the living room, her two guests were chatting amongst themselves.

 

“Sorry. Slept through my alarm,” She apologized, but neither of them seemed too upset. Mayor Lewis walked over to pull her into a hug, laughing heartily when he found she had to lean forward to do it proper.

 

“By Yoba, girl, you’ve gotten so big!” He held her fondly, turning to the beaming redhead behind him. “The last I saw her, she was as tall as my knees! How tall are you now?”

 

Denny laughed quietly, embarrassed at the attention. When she looked to the woman in her living room, she was met with a motherly smile. Looking back down, she mumbled. “...Six feet.”

 

“Six feet tall! Did you hear that Robin?”

 

“Sure did! Glad I had the ceilings raised before you got here - they were a little low,” Robin winked up at her, and Denny realized that she _had_ in fact seen this woman before, just under different circumstances. Immediately, she perked up, nearly visibly bristling with delight.

“Are you Robin, the town carpenter? Wow, I’ve seen so much of your work! On...your website...that is…” Both Robin and Lewis laughed when Denny’s voice trailed off, hands slowly covering her mouth in embarrassment.

 

“Wow,” Robin smiled, pulling Denny into a motherly hug. “Did’ya hear that Lewis? A fan!”

 

Lewis and Robin didn’t stay long. They made sure everything was to her liking, laughing when she finally stepped out to look at the mess of a farm she had inherited. On his way out, the mayor decided a walk would do him good, imploring Denny to go and have a look around town sooner rather than later.

 

“You always were a bit of a slowpoke as a child,” He teased as he left, and Denny couldn’t even be mad because honestly? She was _still_ slow as hell, even as an adult. Turning to Robin, the redhead pointed at her truck with her chin, pulling the young woman with her to get something out of the back.

 

“Cool,” Denny whispered, and Robin almost thought she was unimpressed until she saw the glimmer of excitement in her brown eyes. In the bed of her pickup truck, there was an assortment of tools - a watering can, an axe, a pick, a hoe, a _scythe_. Denny couldn’t wait to put them to good use, but she also couldn’t bring herself to properly express that happiness. Oh well, Robin seemed to have caught on anyways.

 

“So…” Denny perked up when she heard Robin behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw a look she could only describe as mischievous on the older woman’s face.

 

“Yes…?”

 

“How old are you?” If it had been anyone else, she’d swear Robin was coming on to her.

 

“22?” Robin looked contemplative, a wicked grin splitting her face as Denny carried her new tools to her house. “Why?”

“Nothing~, I just have a son around that age is all.”

When Denny just stared blankly at her, Robin broke out into a laugh, climbing into her car.

“Friends are always nice, right? Come up and say hi sometime! You’re a fan, you know where to find us,” She winked a final time for the afternoon, waving out her window as she started pulling out of the farm.

 

Denny chuckled, still a little confused, but smiled and did a little wave anyways, careful not to drop her (sharp) equipment. Shockingly, she _didn’t_ actually know where Robin lived, but she saw Lewis slip a map onto her counter earlier, so she’d have to put her map-reading skills to the test for the first time in...forever. She had GPS, she never needed a map before! For now, she just wanted to take a shower and change into something more comfortable (and nicer smelling), and curl up under some soft sheets. But before that...

 

 

Standing in a pair tall work boots she fished out of a suitcase, Denny looked out into the field of dry grass and rocks before her.  From her front steps, she headed off the left and straight down, close to the wall of trees that surround her land. She kept her feet to ground, gloved hands clearing her way until she stumbled over something that skidded through the dirt with a loud _clang!_ She sucked in a deep breath, her toe throbbing from the impact - if that was all it took to stub her toe, she’d have to get new farming boots. Finally remembering how to breath, she managed to push through the dirt until she brushed against the hilt of what her poor toes were accosted by. Lifting it, she held it up to the sky, examining it.

 

A plain old sword.

 

“Would you look at that.”

 

Seems she’ll be having a purple-haired visitor sometime soon.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Hide and Seek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone returns for what they left behind.

“I’m so screwed.”

 

It was Friday night at the Saloon, and Hang Night for three friends in the valley. Sam and Sebastian halted their game of pool - Sam leaning over the table mid-aim and Sebastian watching him with a smug grin - turning to look at their purple-haired companion occupying the couch. Abigail’s head was in her hands, double over as she rocked anxiously back and forth in her seat. “I’m so screwed, I’m so screwed, I’m so screwed…”

 

Sam was the first to speak up.

  
“What’s up, Abby?” He asked, putting down his pool stick to sit on the couch with her. Sebastian followed suit, standing in front of her as if to block her from anyone looking. “Did something happen?”   
  
Taking a deep breath, Abigail eyed the wall behind Sebastian, trying to gather her thoughts. “I snuck out to go to the abandoned farm this morning.”

 

“Did Pierre catch you?” Sebastian supplied, finally taking a seat on the adjacent couch. Abigail shook her head, frowning. “Did...Mayor Lewis catch you?”

 

“No. I saw the new owner and ran.”

 

“So what happened?” 

  
  
“I…” She paused, thinking. “...left something.”

  
  
The boys looked at each other. 

  
  
“What did you leave?” Sam tried, knowing she probably wouldn’t give a straight answer.

 

“...Something? It doesn’t matter, I just have to get it back.”

 

There was a moment of silence, the sounds of the bar flooding into their area. 

 

“So...are we gonna go get it back?” It was Sebastian who finally spoke up, Sam jumping up off the couch excitedly.

 

“Yeah! We can go tonight!”   
  
  
And so they did. Around 11pm, the gang congregated around the back entrance of the farm - Shane eyed them warily as he entered Marnie’s shop, but they didn’t mind him too much. Even if he did see something, he probably didn’t care enough to report it.

 

“Alright,” Sebastian whispered, crouched low to the ground, the rest following his lead. “So, one more time - what’s our plan?”

 

“I’m keeping watch,” said Sam, his bright blonde spikes hidden under one of Sebastian’s black hoodies. “I’ll make a sound if I notice anything.”   
  
Without prompting, he made a hushed version of an overdramatic bird call, getting snickers from his friends. Coughing into his hand to mask the sound, Sebastian turned his head to Abigail next.

 

“I’m running in with you,” She waited until he nodded to continue. “And we’re gonna search retrace my steps. If Sam thinks it’s safe, he’ll join us.”

  
  
“If we get caught, we split up three ways: You, through the main entrance; Sam, through the back, and myself through the exit up to the mountains. New owner won’t be able to get all of us.”   
  


“Say, what does the new farmer look like anyways?” Sam mused, looking out into the field of tall grass before them. Even Sebastian turned to look at Abigail, and the young woman sighed dramatically. 

 

“I don’t know? I couldn’t really see. Hiding in panic, you know.”

 

“Girl? Guy?”

  
  
“Girl,” Sebastian cut in. When he was met with confusion, he elaborated. “Mom met her. Her name is Denny, I think. Coming to visit tomorrow.”

  
  
“So we have to make extra sure not to get caught then.” There was an overly confident grin smeared on the blond’s face, one that made his companions just a little uneasy. But regardless of that feeling, when Sebastian gave the motion, they moved out.

  
  


The lights at the farmhouse were off for the night - and why wouldn’t they be? It was late, and farmers started the day early, if Abby’s memory served correct. Still, there was a lingering fear that she’d look in the window and the farmer would be looking back; would they be charged for trespassing? Had she just gotten her closest friends in the valley into some serious trouble? A cold but comforting hand landed on top of her head, ruffling her hair. Looking up from her crouched position, she caught Sebastian shooting her a small, comforting smile before Sam gave the okay to sneak forward. And while the action had given her some relief, she just couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her, somewhere in the large expanse of farm left in pitch darkness. 

 

Bluh. Nerves.

 

As planned, Sam stayed at the back entrance while Sebastian and Abigail skirted through the grass. After about 15 minutes of searching, he joined in too; the longer they looked, the more anxious they got, the feeling practically permeating in the air around them. Every so often an animal would skitter through the dry grass, sending the group scattering in hushed panic until they gathered their bearings. Sam would return to sentry duty until everything seemed clear, and the cycle would start again. After the third time, they stopped running, sticking low to the ground as they felt for...something. 

 

“ _ I’m still not entirely sure what we’re looking for, Abby, _ ” Sam whispered harshly off to her left. Abigail went to hush him, but the sound of nocturnal creatures and the wind blowing through the heavy greenery that acted as a natural hideaway for the farm was loud enough that it didn’t quite matter.

 

“ _ You’ll know when you see it _ ,” She whispered back, head popping up from the tall grass. The sight was apparently funny enough that she heard a snort of laughter somewhere to her right when she ducked down again. 

 

The search went on for a few more minutes after that, her precious item nowhere to be found. Sitting back on her heels, she conceded defeat. She was  _ sure  _ she was sat right where she left it, but if they got any closer, they’d practically be on the farmer’s doorstep. There was less grass towards the front of the house; seemed like she got some work in on her first day. Admirable.

 

“ _ Alright guys, I think it’s time to call it quits. _ ” She watched as the boys crept back to her, the grass bending to their weight in a way that she was certain would be noticeable in the morning. Ah well. Too late now. 

 

“ _ You sure you’re done? We could keep looking, _ ” Sebastian said, coming down from somewhere between her and Sam. Huh. But wasn’t he on her right? Sam was saying something, but Abigail couldn’t focus past the feeling of dread washing over her. Looking behind her, the only thing to her right was a barrier of trees. But then...who laughed?

 

“..Abby? You don’t look too hot...maybe we should get you home.” Sam wasn’t whispering anymore, his voice slightly panicked. Just as he reached out to her, they all heard it.

 

The faint sounds of leaves crunching under foot.

 

“We should probably...go.” Abigail whispered, though none of them made a move, instead watching the treeline with a morbid curiosity. 

 

“Yeah.” Said a deep voice from just beyond the trees, the sound breaking the quiet of the night and sending shivers down their spines. “That sounds like a good idea,  _ Abby. _ ”

 

They all turned in time to see the outline of someone watching them from the brush. Tall and imposing, Abigail almost didn’t manage to pull her eyes away from whatever was calling her name to see the glinting object at its hip. 

 

Her sword. A weapon.

 

The three of them panicked just enough to remember the plan they set by the back entrance: Sam was out the back, Abigail out the main, and Sebastian took the mountain path. Through the blood rushing in her ears, she faintly heard what sounded like Sam shouting, and she whirled around in time to see him sprawled out on the ground, a plume of dirt still floating around him.

“Sam!” That was Sebastian shouting, Abby realized, from somewhere past the farm house. Sam regained his bearings quickly - and just in time, it seemed; just as he got to his feet, a figure leapt out from the woods, making a mad dash for him, sword still in their grip. Whoever it was was fast, but adrenaline made Sam faster, and he raced out of the back entrance before they could reach him. Following his example, Sebastian and Abigail ran like their lives depended on it.

 

“Wait!” She heard the voice call. “Stop running!”

 

But she didn’t. 

 

Abigail didn’t stop running until she reached her still open window, clambering in and almost slamming it behind her before she realized exactly what time it was. Climbing into bed and pulling the covers up to her nose, she watched the window with what was definitely fear. She only lasted for a minute before she shakily slid out of the safety of the blankets to close her curtains, shuffling back on trembling legs as the adrenaline wore off.

 

She didn’t sleep soundly that night, not even after she got the obligatory “ _ hey i know we narrowly avoided serious trouble but i got home safe _ ” texts from both Sam and Sebastian. 

All she could think of was the figure in the trees, her sword glinting menacingly in their grip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, this one took a bit, didn't it...this was written at the beginning of a slump, so of course it really hit after i posted,,


	3. The More Things Stay The Same

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Denny meets some faces from her past. Some are more welcomed than others.

“What a disaster.”

 

Denny hadn’t expected things to go that far south when she waited in the woods that night. She was going to give back the sword, maybe have a laugh or two with the purple haired girl she found was Abigail, and call it a night. For most of the night she tossed and turned, hoping those kids got home alright. Maybe the whole “hiding in the woods while dressed in all black and also wielding a weapon” wasn’t the best idea? Honestly, if one of them was armed, she could have been shot or something!

 

Looking at her phone (and nearly blinding herself in the process), Denny saw that it was approaching 6am. With a groan, she pulled herself out of bed, whipping off her bonnet and heading to her bathroom for a long shower. She wanted to do things right, just like how she remembered her grandfather doing whenever she stayed for the summer.

 

_“Deedee! You’ve decided to join us!” Grandpa Emil laughed, watching the bleary eyed eight year old rub her eyes in the doorway of the cabin. It looked different then, the cabin. More rustic, old but sturdy wood, outdated but homey decor. Denny always complained, but once Grandpa was gone and she had no reason to go visit, she felt an intense longing to lay in one of the couches she was sure dated back at least a century - the cushions would swallow her whole, and she could lay and daydream for hours._

 

_“Why’re you up?” She called from the front door. It had been 6:30 in the morning, and she was woken up by the sound of his boisterous laughter. Climbing out of bed, she slunk out the open front door only to find him alone, picking cranberries from their bushes before the sun was totally up. “What was so funny?”_

 

_Emil chuckled, beckoning her over to pull his grumpy granddaughter into a tight hug. Denny squealed, wiggling and making exaggerated choking sounds when he squeezed her too tight. He placed her gently on a thick wood log that made up the fence, ruffling her braided hair before going back to work harvesting. “Your grandma is very funny, you know.”_

 

_But she didn’t quite catch that, distracted by a woman she had never seen leaning in the doorway where she had once stood. Grey curls sat atop the tall woman’s head, a fond smile that Denny wanted to say was familiar. Her hair stood on end, heart racing as the woman mouthed something, but she could only focus on the fact that she could clearly see the kitchen through her winter nightgown._

 

_She said-_

 

Denny shot awake, nearly slipping in the shower as she did so. Scrambling out, she saw she’d only been in there for about 15 minutes, though she wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep.  Somewhere in the back of her mind, she acknowledged that she was shaking when she pulled on her clothes, not stopping until she made it out the front door some minutes later.

 

She was delighted to find that her parsnips had sprouted after only a day. Thankfully, they hadn't been trampled during last night’s...festivities. She couldn’t help but feel guilty, watering absentmindedly. Ah well, she’d be going into town for some fertilizer after she finished on the overgrown thing she called a field, so she’d apologize then. Looking up, the sky was smeared by light grey clouds. Hm.  
  
Looks like rain.

 

Taking the back route, she saw a little ranch right behind her family farm. Knocking on the door, no one answered, but it was also 8 in the morning, so they _probably_ weren’t open yet.  Walking some ten minutes further, she made it to town. It was just as she remembered it, small and quiet. There were a couple houses she didn't remember, but that just meant less people to share her embarrassing baby stories. Hopefully.  

 

Walking around, everything seemed to open at 9. The general store was closed, so the umbrella and garden goods she was hoping to buy would have to wait, it seemed. She shuffled quickly past the blue house with the owl ornament hanging from the roof south of the store- in there lied a confrontation she’d like to put off for as long as possible. The trailer brought back some happy memories, however, as did Lewis’ manor. She found herself wondering how Penny and Pam were holding up.

 

Crossing the closest bridge, Denny remembered that Pelican Town had some sort of library-museum combo that opened super early. She rarely went in as a child, mostly out of spite because Grandpa Emil wouldn’t let her have any of the shiny gems on display. It was right where always was, almost intimidating in that way all museums are (or maybe that was just her). Just as she thought, it was already open, light shining through the windows.

 

She still wouldn’t get to have them, but her magpie tendencies could be put on hold for just a few moments.

 

When she opened the doors to the library, there was no one at the front desk. Her anxiety told her to go, but her curiosity made her stay. Walking further down, she saw an older man in a blue suit and a _fantastic_ hat running his hands over his face, looking over a museum display that was a lot.... _emptier_ than Denny remembered.

 

Hearing her footsteps, the man turned to face her completely, looking both sheepish and exhausted.

 

“Are you the new farmer? Hope you didn’t come out of your way for anything in the Archaeology Center; as you can see, we’re a little uh...out of commission.”

 

Denny smiled, reaching out to shake his hand. “It’s no issue, just wanted to see if anything’s changed since I was here last. Oh! I’m Denny, by the way. Nice to meet you.”

  
“Gunther, the new museum curator. Unfortunately, the old curator ran off with all the exhibits, so we’re left with nothing right now.”  
  
“Yoba, that’s awful!” Denny never trusted the old curator - he always looked like he was scheming, and he gave her a nasty look whenever she walked in.  
  
“That it is...say, you plan on being here a while, right?”  
  
“Hope so.”

 

“D’you think you could bring in any cool things you find around town? The Valley is full of old wonders, and Pelican Town is no different.”  
  
Internally, Denny didn’t know whether to be helpful or hardheaded; she wanted help restore this part of her childhood and save Gunther the trouble, but she also knew she was a bit of a hoarder, and parting ways with nice things was going to be a battle. Shaking her head, she gave the curator a small smile and a thumbs up. “You got it, Gunther.”

She left him to mourn over the loss of his exhibits. Pushing open the door, she was met with a blunt _thud_ , as well as a small yelp and various sounds of confusion. Looking down, two large pairs of glaring eyes. Between them, a red-haired woman lay on the walkway, rubbing her sore behind.

 

“You knocked over Ms.Penny!” One of the children shouted, the other quietly watching her reaction. They both stood between the two women, as if protecting their fallen guardian. Denny almost laughed at how quickly they stepped aside when she bent to take the other woman’s hand to pull her up, but thought against it.

 

“Ms.Penny, huh?” Arms crossed under her chest, Denny couldn’t for the life of her bite back the teasing smirk that pulled at her lips. “Now why does that name sounds so familiar?”  
  
The red headed woman stopped dusting her skirts, peering up at her through her long bangs. Denny was glad to see her eyes were just as green as she remembered them being.

 

“Deedee?” She gasped, mouth agape. Denny nodded, smirk now a full blown grin that actually kind of hurt her cheeks.

 

“The one and only.”  
  
For a moment, she was thankful for her sturdy frame, laughing when Penny flew into her open arms. The children watched the reunion carefully, laughing and gaping in awe when she lifted Penny off the ground seemingly with ease. Denny spun them like a reunion scene straight out of a Lifetime movie, stopping only when she remembered they had an audience.

 

“Wow, Miss! You’re like a knight!” The ginger headed boy beamed up at her. His dark haired companion just stared on, wide-eyed. Denny chuckled, setting (the now flushed) Penny down to squat until she was just about eye level with the children. She was glad to see his apprehension faded so fast.

 

“Am I a _cool_ knight?” She asked, albeit awkwardly. Kids were complicated for her - she usually loved them to bits, but had no clue how to handle them.

  
“Hm...Yeah! D’you think _I_ could be a cool knight?” Denny ruffled his hair, nodding enthusiastically.

 

“Definitely.” The boy nearly burst with barely contained energy, jumping up and cheering as he pulled his friend out from where she had skittered behind Penny’s legs.  
  
“Jas, I’m a knight now! I’ll protect you, Princess!” He quickly took to roleplay and, much to Denny’s surprise, so had Jas. The two ran not too far off, Jas climbing onto a stump while her knight pretended to fight a dragon.

 

“Vincent, Jas, don’t go too far off! We still have class!” Denny quirked an eyebrow, watching Penny with curious eyes.

“‘Ms.Penny,’ huh?” She teased, but Penny only smiled fondly at the kids.

 

“We're too small for a school,” she said, a little quieter than usual. “but that doesn't mean I can’t teach them _something._ ”

 

Denny watched her old friend. So Penny had found her calling in the valley, huh?

 

“It’s not really a ‘calling’ or anything, but it feels good, knowing that I've laid the foundation for them.”

 

Ah. That worked too.

 

They made small talk for some minutes, trying to play catch up and watching the kids play before Penny felt it cut too deep into their class time. Denny picked then to take off, promising to drop by when she wasn’t tutoring the kids so they could hang out proper.

 

Seeing Penny had really lifted her spirits. She hadn’t realized they were that low, the looming pressure of starting over having worn her down quite a bit. But seeing Penny that was looking well, if not still just as shy as when they were kids, was refreshing. Things weren’t as different as she’d imagined.

 

Talking with Gunther and Penny had taken just enough time for the general store to open, if the people walking in an out meant anything. Denny decided cutting up between the saloon and the big dog area...cage...thing was the best route, even if her gut told her not to. And frankly, she should have listened. But who was Denny but a woman who loved to test her intuition?

 

She’d felt his eyes on her before she noticed he was out. The sound of him catching his gridball was menacing in its own right, even when she wouldn’t turn to actually see him do it.

 

“Hey, Farm Girl.” When she did finally chance a look, he was smirking. Taller than she remembered. Bigger. His shoulders broader and his jaw more squared and, if she didn’t hate his guts so much, she might have considered him handsome. But she didn’t, not when the sight of him sent her chest aflame. When was the last time a man gave her heartburn?  
  
The blonde by his side was familiar too, even if she’d never seen her in person. The deep-set frown on her face was different from her social media icon, at least. Her presence might have even made Denny angrier than his, if the way her hands clenched at her sides meant anything. Maybe it was the two of them standing there, watching her that way. Mockingly. Like they had her all figured out.

  
“Oh. It’s you.” She said, and Denny was inclined to agree. _Yeah_ , she thought. _It’s me._

  
The standoff only lasted a couple seconds, tops. It was broken by a frail voice calling from inside.

  
“Alex, dear? Come help me with this, will you?”  
  
  
Yoba bless Evelyn. She sounded just as sweet as ever.

  
Denny left before he did, her long legs carrying her the rest of the way to the store before they got anymore of a reaction out of her.  
  
  
//  
  
  
Damn it all. She just wanted some fertilizer. Rain drops darkened the cobble walkways, bouncing off her thick hair.  
  
  
Ah, that’s right. An umbrella then, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO, I'm still deciding who Denny is gonna end up with. It'll most definitely be more than one person, but I don't want to get too ridiculous - I want it to be at least a /little/ realistic. So if you see me adding on more romances (which I will almost definitely continue to do in the future), that's what that's all about lmao. Spur of the moment fics come with spur of the moment decisions, it seems.
> 
>  
> 
> ALSO, i managed to get my partner in crime kingcaboodle into SDV, so now we've got a great fic in the making coming from that direction too! (TL;DR, check out Spring Starlight, y'all)
> 
> ALSO ALSO im sorry im so infrequent with my updates, i'm never on time for anything


	4. Friendly Faces?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian meets some interesting new faces, and is more sociable than he ever felt the need to be. Ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been almost two months...whoops...

After the scare at the farm, Sebastian didn’t get much sleep.

 

Aside from nearly shitting himself, he couldn’t help but worry about things like legal repercussions, the eventual confrontation, the fact that the farmer was coming over for dinner...At least, he hoped the person they encountered was the farmer, and not some weirdo lurking around her farm at night with a weapon. He was tempted to step out for a smoke, but _whoever_ caught them on the farm must have struck a nerve, because the moment he got to his door, he couldn’t move. Spending the rest of the night trembling with his hand on the doorknob didn’t seem too appeasing, so instead he slunk over to his computer, opening the Solarion wiki and reading through the lore until he heard the sounds of life upstairs.

 

“Hey Sam.”

 “Hey, it’s Seb!” Sam was playing a game on his portable system when Sebastian found him  later that day. They did a little secret handshake when he got close enough, giving each other a once over.  
  
“You look like shit, man,” Sam said, shooting his friend a shit-eating (but still concerned) grin. Sebastian huffed but wouldn’t deny the upward quirk of his lips.  
  
“What about you? You took a pretty nasty spill.” He eyed Sam’s ankle, noticing he was avoiding putting weight on it. His friend laughed sheepishly, pausing his game to rub the back of his neck.  
  
“ _Yeah..._ I’m pretty embarrassed about that. I mean, we were all kinda freaked out but she wasn’t _really_ gonna like, do anything to us, right?” Ducking down, he rolled up the leg of his jeans to show off the nasty bruise blossoming on his shin. “Pretty sick, right?”  
  
“If you didn’t fuck up on your board so much, I might have actually been concerned.” Sebastian smirked down at his friend, letting out a little laughed when the blond feigned shock, dodging when he reached out to swat at him. “But who were you talking about?”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“‘ _She wasn’t really gonna do anything to us, right?_ ’” He tried to do an impression, raising his voice a smidge and only sounding mocking. “Who’s ‘she’?”  
  
“The farmer! You said the farmer was a girl, right? And the person who scared us was a girl-er, woman?...Girl-woman? Well actually, maybe not? Uh...” For a moment, Sam was lost in his own thoughts, running mental circles around himself. Sebastian waited patiently, gingerly swiping the portable console from him to play whatever it was he was playing. It was the one he was always gushing about, something about catching monkeys that escaped from your grandfather’s lab?

 “You got the better view, I can’t really help you there,” he said, though his attention was shifted to the monkey on the cliff that was running circles around him. “You think it’s the farmer, though?”  
  
“I mean, I _hope_ there’s not some crazy person with a sword running around in the woods by the farm. It’s safer for my sanity to say it was the farmer.”  
  
“Fair enough.” Sebastian handed Sam back his game, looking up at the dark sky. “Gonna rain soon.”  
  
“True. At least it’s nice out, right?” Sam laughed, admiring the dark clouds with his friend. After about a minute, he got bored and voiced as much, ushering the broody man before him inside to hang. Sebastian saw no fault with that logic, letting Sam lead the way.

 As he stepped past the threshold, rain started pouring down in hard, heavy drops. Hesitating, he made to close the door, almost missing the tall figure walk by, seemingly unphased by the rain. They made eye contact, the figure’s features obscured mostly by a dark raincoat. Sebastian’s dark, dark eyes met near-gold ones, and he swore he saw a ghost of a smile crossing it’s face as it passed. Sebastian shivered. He hadn’t necessarily gotten a _bad_ vibe from whoever they encountered on the farm but...this person was...

Different.

“Seb? You good?” Sam called from the kitchen, inadvertently pulling Sebastian out of his thoughts. Reaching up, he fingered his wet bangs, still dripping from him leaning out to get a closer look.  
  
“Yeah man, I’m alright.” Taking one last look, he found the walkway was eerily barren - not a soul around.

 

( “Sam, d’you think the farmer’s gonna sue us?”  
  
“Shit dude, I really hope not!”  
  
“...Thanks, man. Really quelled my fears.” 

“No problem! S’what I’m here for, you sarcastic asshole.”  
  
“Love you too, Sam.”)

 

  
Sebastian made sure he was home in time for dinner. The rain had stopped by then, and he was just a little sad about it - the sky was still dark, though, just dark enough that he was still giddy about it. He didn’t bother lighting a cigarette on the way up; for some reason, he wanted to make a good first impression. If the farmer _wasn’t_ all that lenient with trespassing on a farm she’d only owned for less than a day, he didn’t want to give her any reasons to distrust him more. 

Sebastian’s mind wandered back to the person he’d seen in front of Sam’s house. Part of him hoped that that wasn’t the farmer - not with the vibe he got from them. If it was, well...he didn’t want to think that far...but he did anyways. If it wasn’t the farmer, then who was the dark figure wandering around Pelican town? Sam was right - it was better for his sanity to just believe it was her. 

 

The house was filled with amiable conversation when he walked in. A large umbrella was propped up on the wall, a multi-colored raincoat he’d never seen before hung on the wall. Walking down the hall, he found his family crowded around the table, plates full but untouched. Maru and Demetrius were discussing _something_ about _something_ Maru had done in high school, the young woman laughing but trying to push the conversation away from herself. Robin, of course, wasn’t having it, taking every opportunity to show off her baby girl (as any mother would).

 Sebastian’s eyes drifted to the new face at the table. Sat between his mother and the empty seat he was sure was left for him was someone who didn’t quite match the image of a farmer in his head. Bright pink hair was stuffed under a dark beanie, pieces sticking out in a way that wasn’t quite messy. The pierced eyebrow and nose caught him more off-guard than the hair, though. New age farmers, huh? At least the broad shoulders fit the bill.  
“Sebastian, are you gonna stand there all day or what!” His mom shouted when she noticed him standing in the doorway. She hadn’t meant it to be rude, nor had he taken it that way, if the cheek-splitting grin on her face said anything. “Come, sit!”  
  
“I’m not a dog, Mom,” He mumbled, but took the empty seat anyways. Robin knew he wasn’t _actually_ annoyed, maybe a little embarrassed more than anything, but was glad to see her son out of his room. 

A hand extended itself to him. Turning, he caught a small, awkward smile from the woman on his left.

 “Er, hey...” She said simply, and Sebastian could have sworn he saw her cringe for just a second. He took her hand anyway, noting that her voice was a lot softer than he anticipated. “I’m Denny, I’ll be the one taking care of Rosewood farm. Nice to meet you.”  
  
Sebastian felt the corner of his mouth twitch upwards, but stifled it. “Sebastian. My mom’s told me a bit about you already.”  
  
“Funny,” She said, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. “She did the same for you, too. Looks like we’re even.”  
  
The small huff of a laugh he let out was covered by his mother clapping her hands, announcing that it was _finally_ time to dig in. Dinner was nice, Sebastian had to admit. Denny wasn’t much more sociable than he, and often turned the conversation to him when he got quiet for too long. Even though he really had nothing much to say, he still appreciated the sentiment. Despite the awkward moments, there was no outright display of hostility from the farmer, and for a while, Sebastian totally forgot about why exactly he was dreading this night in the first place.  
  
“So,” Demetrius started, pulling the farmer from the conversation she and Maru had just finished. Dinner had been done for a little while, the five of them just lingering around the table, Sebastian itching to get back down to his room. “Denny, how was your first night on the farm?”  
  
“My first night?”  
  
“Oh yes, was it scary, being on that big plot of land by yourself?” Robin chimed in, pouring herself and Demetrius a glass of wine. Sebastian watched Denny’s face closely, almost missing the brief glance in his direction before she looked up to the ceiling contemplatively.

What did _that_ mean?

“It was pretty quiet, I’d say? I didn’t get much sleep, if I’m being honest. Thanks to whoever set up the internet before I came, by the way. A lifesaver.”

“You’re welcome,” Came the simultaneous response from both Sebastian and Maru. Denny laughed at that - it was a quiet sort of giggle, another thing Sebastian hadn’t anticipated. _But it kinda fits her,_ he mused, catching the smile he felt coming on. He didn’t wanna look like a _complete_ weirdo.  
  
“Mayor Lewis needed some assistance,” Maru elaborated with a grin. She was practically leaning over the table trying to talk to Denny. Probably didn’t even realize it.  
  
“Should’a known. Oh, say, I just remembered - was my grandfather’s farm like...a hangout spot or something while it was, uh...abandoned?”  
  
Sebastian nearly choked on his soda.  
  
“Why do you ask that?” Demetrius’ head was tilted as he watched her, Robin mirroring his actions. “Did something happen?”

Under the table, Sebastian had his jeans in a white-knuckle grip. Of course it would come up now - the night had been going _too_ well, so it’s only appropriate that it explode in his face.  
  
“No, no, nothing like that. I just realized people my age like to hang out in places like that, abandoned spots ‘n all - was wondering if I needed to invest in a fence or something.”

Sebastian had to stop himself from staring at her like she grew two heads. A knee knocked into his audibly below the table, and when he looked back up, Denny was smiling at him conspiratorially.

Smiling back weakly, Sebastian pushed slowly away from the table. Denny seemed to be the only one who was concerned about his sudden departure, the rest of his family assuring her it wasn't anything out of the norm. Good, the less of a scene, the better.

 

The mountains were quiet. A cigarette hung loose from Sebastian’s lips, his mind running through the last hour or so.  
  
He learned a lot about the farmer- about Denny. She’s 22, worked for Joja for four years, did sports up until college, and has never farmed a day in her life, aside from the “work” she did as a child with her grandfather. Before she came back to the farm, she couldn’t even keep plants in the house, tired of her cat eating them to death. She didn’t mention having a cat on the farm with her. She _also_ didn’t mention that he was on her farm, illegally, close to midnight. From the smile they…“ _shared”_ at the table, it seemed she was willing to keep it a secret if he was. Maybe it’s because she’s young. Millennial solidarity or something. 

The sound of dirt and gravel crunching under uneven steps caught his attention. Looking away from the lake, he saw Denny hobbling towards him, her raincoat in her arms. _That oversized umbrella wasn’t just for show_ , he mused.

 “Hey, man,” She started when she finally caught up to him, looking breathless from an admittedly short walk. “I wanted to uh, talk about what happened last night?”  
  
Sebastian cursed under his breath, plucking his cigarette from his mouth and crushing it under his heel.  The pink haired woman before him nearly dropped her coat and makeshift cane to wave her hands in front of herself almost frantically.  
  
“No, no! It’s, it’s nothing bad, I promise. I just wanted to say that there’s no hard feelings or anything - at least, not on my end. I’m pretty sure I did more harm than you guys, to be honest. Sorry about that.”  
  
Sebastian was dumbfounded. This was not at all how he expected the conversation to go. “No...what? We broke onto _your_ farm, though, shouldn’t _we_ apologize?”  
  
Denny laughed a little, soft and quiet, and somewhere deep inside him, Sebastian was mad she made him drop his guard so easily. “I mean, I won’t stop you if you do, but I get it. You guys were-....well, it _looked_ like you were looking for something, right?”  
  
“You could tell?”  
  
“You guys were louder than you thought.” Part of him seriously doubted that. “Anyways, tell...Abby, was it? Tell her if she lost anything, she can talk to me about it - I don’t bite.”  
  
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed when she laughed again. He remembered her voice calling out from the woods, taunting them with Abigail’s name right before they scattered. Maybe she _had_ overheard them, since she never called Abby by her full name, but something in her eyes seemed so...knowing. Like she knew exactly what was going on, even though he still didn’t. Denny must have caught onto his suspicions, because he watched her whole body tense from the legs up.  
  
“How’d you know to wait in the woods?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“How’d you know to wait in the woods to watch us?” That question had been gnawing at him for a bit, even moreso now. Her eyes looked up and to the side in thought - she looked calm enough, but he caught the way her fingers kneaded her coat. A nervous habit?  
  
“I was finishing up some initial groundwork for the farm- and yes, I know it was late, but I was tempted to go on a little late night walk. I’m from the city, I’m not usually in a place where I can do that safely alone. Anyways, I saw you guys shuffling around from the woods and decided to watch a little before playing a prank. Didn’t expect it to escalate like that.”  
  
“And the sword?”  
  
“A precaution. I’ve lived here for two days, Sebastian. I wasn’t sure if everyone just forgot to tell me about the evil woods folk.”  
  
Sebastian surprised himself when he felt a chuckle rumble in his throat. When he looked up, Denny was smiling, looking quite pleased with herself. Feeling heat rise to his cheeks, he covered his mouth with a hand, looking back at the water. If she noticed, and she probably did, she didn’t press him.  
  
“I have to apologize to your other friend too - what was his name? Sam...?” She looked thoughtfully up at the night sky, forgetting to elaborate for a second when she got distracted by the stars, if the way her face lit up meant anything. “Oh, yeah- uh, yes! He fell right? Is he okay?”  
  
“He’s alright,” Sebastian nodded, only noticing then how easy conversation had been with her. “Has a nasty bruise, though. Thinks it’s cool.”  
  
At the look of horror on her face, he doubled back. “I mean, he’s okay! It’s not horrible...Um, well, Sam’s a nice guy. He doesn’t really have a mean bone in his body - not enough to hold a grudge.”  
  
She visibly relaxed at that. “Okay, I still need to find him and apologize, though. Explain the situation and all.”  
  
“The house you saw me at earlier was his.” Sebastian wanted another cigarette, anxious at how long the conversation had lasted, but he only had two left. He’d save them.  
  
“Huh?” As he fingered the two in his pocket, he looked in time to catch genuine confusion on the farmer’s face under one of the lampposts his mom had installed.  
  
“Early today, when the rain started? You passed by Sam’s house going towards the ranch, right?” She gave off some of the same airheaded vibes as Sam, if he was honest, even if it wasn’t nearly as much. She must have just forgotten, because last Sebastian checked, she was the only mysterious figure in the small town - or, at least, she should be.

But she shook her head, looking contemplative as she mentally ran through her day. “When the rain started, I had to run to the general store to buy an umbrella, and then I walked past the bus stop to get home since it’s closer.”  
  
The two of them stared at each other for a moment, awkward silence and all.  
  
“W-well, anyways,” Sebastian started, coughing into his fist. “Sam’s house is the one closest to the ranch, the blue one.”  
  
“Oh, alright then...Thanks, Sebastian. I should _proooobably_ head home now. Seeing as I have to walk through the mountains and all.” She smiled nervously, looking over her shoulder at the mountain path. Sebastian eyed her leg before running through a list of how the night could go wrong. Ah, fuck it. He could do with not being a hermit for an hour or so more.  
  
“Do you want me to uh, walk you home? It’s kinda late.” Spring had only just come, so the days were still fairly short. He was mostly concerned about not looking like he was coming on to her.  
  
“You don’t have to do that! I’m pretty good at finding my way back once I’ve walked that way already.” She didn’t look like she wanted to say no, but she probably didn’t press her luck. Weighing his options, he sighed, running a hand through his hair and walking back towards the house.  
  
“Even with the Shadow People?” 

Her low voice went comically high.  
  
“The what-now?”  
  
“We can take the shortcut.” He didn’t move fast, waiting for her to catch up before he started walking. Another cigarette made its way between his teeth, against his previous decision.  
  
“That didn’t answer my question at all…”

 

Sebastian learned a lot about Denny that evening: that she preferred working in JojaMart over the actual office, that she’s too lazy to unpack anything any time soon, and that she had three pet frogs as a child that she and her grandfather caught on the farm. He mostly let her speak, or not speak on the occasion, chiming in only when he felt the need to. The silence seemed to be fine with her, at least, and the walk itself was fairly comfortable.

Once he made sure she was home safe, Sebastian, for the second night in a row, hightailed it home. Playing the gentleman was nice and all, but there was something gnawing at the back of his mind that would follow him all the way up until he crashed into his bed and passed out from exhaustion. If Denny was _not_ the mysterious (and vaguely menacing) person he saw in front of Sam’s house...then who was?

 

Sebastian would just faintly remember running through the faces of the townsfolk and realizing he couldn’t really put a face to the figure at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, everyone's favorite emo kid will return after this chapter.


End file.
